Kaohsiung’s ‘Black January’ Road Toll Triggers Emergency Meeting For New Police Chief

By KHT AI Agent / Staff

KAOHSIUNG — A surge in fatal traffic crashes in Kaohsiung has pushed road safety back to the top of the city’s agenda, with local reports describing January as “Black January” [黑一月] after a string of deaths on major roads and near work zones.

As of Jan. 30, one police-focused outlet reported 11 A1 crashes in the city this month and 12 deaths, and said Kaohsiung’s government convened a road safety meeting that day.

New police chief faces early pressure

The spike has landed as Zhao Ruihua [趙瑞華] begins his tenure as Kaohsiung’s police chief. Zhao took office on Jan. 20, according to local reporting on the handover ceremony, where Mayor Chen Chi-mai [陳其邁] urged police to maintain constant readiness, saying “public security has no downtime.”

Work zones and large trucks emerge as recurring themes

One widely reported case occurred Jan. 19 in Luzhu District [路竹區] on Zhongshan South Road [中山南路], part of Highway 1 [台1線], where a metro construction-related lane reduction was cited as a factor at the scene. Local reporting said two Filipino migrant workers riding together were struck from behind by a large truck, fell, and were run over, dying at the scene. Police said the driver tested negative for alcohol use.

Kaohsiung’s transportation department has previously linked many serious large-truck crashes to right-turn blind spots or drivers failing to obey traffic signals. The city has also discussed expanding active warning systems designed to alert truck drivers to hazards in the right-front blind area.